Matches to Make After UFC 157

Scrutiny’s spotlight shone down upon Ronda
Rousey on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., and she delivered.

Rousey retained her Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s
bantamweight championship in the UFC 157 main event, as she
submitted Liz
Carmouche with a first-round armbar before a raucous crowd
there to see the first-ever showdown between two females inside the
Octagon.

Carmouche tapped out with 11 seconds remaining in round one, her
right arm hopelessly entangled in the champion’s web. Carrying the
torch for the women’s mixed martial arts movement, Rousey has
finished all seven of her professional opponents by first-round
armbar.

Carmouche provided the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist with her
sternest test yet. The challenger transitioned to Rousey’s back a
little more than a minute into the bout and tried to spring a
shocking submission, first with a standing rear-naked choke and
then with a gruesome neck crank. The 26-year-old judoka could not
hide the fact that she was in distress, but managed to free herself
from danger and forced Carmouche into a far less advantageous
position.

Rousey powered into top position and assaulted the Team Hurricane
Awesome representative with a series of punches to the face,
setting the stage for the finish. Soon, Carmouche was trapped and
her efforts to escape proved fruitless, as Rousey isolated the arm
after a prolonged struggle and secured the tapout.

Next comes the difficult task of matching Rousey with someone other
than Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, the onetime Strikeforce champion
who recently inked a deal with Invicta Fighting Championships. The
logical choice figures to be the winner of the forthcoming matchup
between Miesha Tate
and the undefeated Cat Zingano
at “The Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale on April 13. Tate gave Rousey a
difficult fight under the Strikeforce banner in 2012, while Zingano
has finished six of her first seven foes.

In the wake of UFC 157 “Rousey vs. Carmouche,” here are six other
matchups that ought to be made:

Josh
Hedges/Zuffa LLC/UFC/Getty

Machida slipped by Henderson at UFC 157.

Lyoto
Machida vs. Jon
Jones-Chael Sonnen
winner: Machida captured a split decision over Dan
Henderson in the co-headliner, likely sewing up a rematch with
light heavyweight champion Jon Jones,
provided “Bones” can get past Sonnen at UFC 159 in April. “The
Dragon” kept Henderson on the perimeter, where he was unable to
connect with the devastating right hand for which he has become
known. Machida was left unconscious by a standing guillotine choke
from Jones at UFC 140 in December 2011 and will likely enter the
cage as a substantial underdog should the two meet again.

Dan
Henderson vs. Rashad
Evans: Henderson took a significant step backward in
the light heavyweight division, and one has to wonder whether time
has run out on realistic pursuits of UFC gold. The oldest active
competitor on the UFC roster, he turns 43 in August. Whether he
ever fights for the title again or not, Henderson will have his
nose stuck in meaningful fights until he walks off into the sunset.
Evans finds himself at a career crossroads of sorts, having dropped
a disappointing unanimous decision to Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156 on Feb. 2.

Liz
Carmouche vs. Miesha
Tate-Cat Zingano
loser: All signs indicate that Carmouche raised her stock
in losing to women’s 135-pound queen Ronda
Rousey in the main event. The 29-year-old Marine threw caution
to the wind, went after Rousey and almost pulled off the upset
before succumbing to the champion’s patented armbar in the closing
seconds of round one. Tate and Zingano will toe the line against
one another in the second-ever women’s bout inside the Octagon at
“The Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale in April.

Urijah Faber
vs. Brad
Pickett-Mike Easton
winner: Faber was in rare form in dispatching Ivan
Menjivar with a standing rear-naked choke, as he became the
first man since 2002 to submit the Tristar Gym veteran. The Team
Alpha Male patriarch remains in the championship hunt at 135
pounds, even though he has lost his last five bouts in which a
title was on the line. American Top Team’s Pickett will lock horns
with the gifted but enigmatic Easton at UFC on Fuel TV 9 on April 6
in Sweden.

Robbie
Lawler vs. Nate
Marquardt-Jake
Ellenberger winner: Lawler had not competed inside the
Octagon in more than 3,000 days, but he made certain the masses
would remember his return. The 30-year-old former EliteXC champion
stopped the world-ranked Josh
Koscheck on first-round punches and, in the process,
established himself as a viable threat to the welterweight
division’s elite. Marquardt and Ellenberger have a date on March
16, as they will collide at UFC 158 in Montreal.

Court McGee
vs. Dan
Miller-Jordan Mein
winner: What McGee lacks in pure talent and athleticism he
more than makes up for with work ethic, conditioning and drive.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 winner halted a two-fight losing
streak with a unanimous decision over Josh Neer and
appeared to like his new haunts at 170 pounds. The 23-year-old Mein
-- who has won eight of his last nine bouts -- will make his
promotional debut at UFC 158 next month when he faces former
International Fight League champion Dan Miller.